Yunqing Liu , Xin Huang , Zhao Huang , Fang Su , Daiyu Song
{"title":"Covalent organic frameworks modified with imidazole units anchored Keggin-type heteropoly acids for production of furfural from xylose and corncob","authors":"Yunqing Liu , Xin Huang , Zhao Huang , Fang Su , Daiyu Song","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120754","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120754","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A series of nitrogen-rich porous covalent imine network modified with imidazole units anchored Keggin-type H<sub>3</sub>PW<sub>12</sub>O<sub>40</sub> (PW-ICIN) were prepared <em>via</em> one-pot co-condensation strategy. The Keggin-type PW clusters can be in situ immobilized onto the ICIN support through physical confinement and hydrogen bonds. The synergistic catalytic effect between the N-rich units and the PW clusters of the catalyst was expected to boost catalytic activity. The catalytic performance of the PW-ICIN catalyst was systematically evaluated in the dehydration of xylose to furfural, with emphasis on the effects of reaction parameters, catalyst stability, and synergistic mechanisms. The catalytic activity of the PW-ICIN catalyst was higher than those of the commercial solid acids (e.g., Amberlyst-15 and HY zeolite) in production of furfural from xylose and corncob, respectively. The high yield of FF (52.7 % and 33.0 %) and TOF value (0.026 min<sup>–1</sup> and 0.054 min<sup>–1</sup>) were obtained in the PW-ICIN-3-catalyzed xylose and corncob conversion, respectively, at 160 °C for 6 h. These advantages of appropriate acid properties, various N-rich units, and excellent porosity property of the PW-ICIN catalysts can significantly improve the catalytic activity. The reaction pathway and mechanism of production of FF from xylose have been reasonably speculated. The robust interaction between PW clusters and frameworks ensured the well reusability of PW-ICIN catalyst. This work aims to advance the rational design of COF-anchored heteropoly acids for sustainable biomass conversion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"711 ","pages":"Article 120754"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145836532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hina Mehjabeen , Fuping Tian , Li Rui , Jicong Yan , Tao Hu , Xiang Wang
{"title":"Catalytic glycolysis of polyethylene terephthalate over MgO/Y2O3 with reduced ethylene glycol consumption","authors":"Hina Mehjabeen , Fuping Tian , Li Rui , Jicong Yan , Tao Hu , Xiang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120730","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120730","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chemical recycling provides a route for closed-loop recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), in which post-consumer PET is depolymerized to bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) via glycolysis and can subsequently be repolymerized to produce recycled PET (rPET). Herein, we have developed a heterogeneous catalytic approach using MgO/Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, the first reported use of Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> for polyester depolymerization to facilitate the glycolysis of PET. The catalyst provides strong and stable basic sites, enabling the depolymerization of 10 g PET with 0.1 g catalyst in 20 mL ethylene glycol (EG) at 185 °C for 2.25 h, achieving 88 ± 3 % PET conversion and 85 ± 3 % BHET yield. In addition, this work demonstrates high PET conversion and BHET yield under relatively mild conditions using a low amount of EG.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"711 ","pages":"Article 120730"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145682624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"On the origin of methane in the RWGS: Insights into selectivity on Mo2C catalysts","authors":"Wijnand Marquart, Michael Claeys, Nico Fischer","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction is thermodynamically limited due to its endothermic nature in terms of CO<sub>2</sub> conversion. While higher reaction temperatures and increased H<sub>2</sub>/CO<sub>2</sub> feed ratios can enhance CO<sub>2</sub> conversion, a more efficient approach involves reaction intensification <em>via</em> the removal of the by-product (H<sub>2</sub>O), shifting the equilibrium per Le Chatelier’s principle. <em>Ex situ</em> H<sub>2</sub>O removal, combined with recycling of unreacted gases leads to CO-enriched feeds, which in turn promotes methanation, especially at lower temperatures. In this study, the origin of CH<sub>4</sub> formation was investigated under both conventional and CO-enriched RWGS feed conditions using (isotopically labelled) transient, breakthrough, experiments over a Mo<sub>2</sub>C catalysts, known for its high RWGS activity. In CO-free feeds, methanation is highly suppressed, even under elevated pressure. In contrast, a CO enriched feed significantly enhanced CH<sub>4</sub> formation, particularly during reaction initiation. Using isotopically labelled C<sup>13</sup>O<sub>2</sub>, two key insights were revealed: (1) CH<sub>4</sub> is primarily formed <em>via</em> adsorbed *CO species (either adsorbed from the gas phase or <em>via</em> CO<sub>2</sub> dissociation), and (2) in the presence of an extra reducing agent in the feed (CO), the activity of the catalysts is improved by facilitating the removal of surface *O species. These findings underscore the importance of improving the hydrogenation (or *O removal) capacity of Mo<sub>2</sub>C catalysts to boost performance under both conventional and intensified RWGS conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"711 ","pages":"Article 120735"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145682625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bimetallic ZnCo anchoring of Pt species in CTAB-modified silicalite-1 (S-1) zeolite for propane dehydrogenation","authors":"Jie Zhou , Yuan Tao , Xiaohui He , Hongbing Ji","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Constructing stable Pt-based catalysts for propane dehydrogenation (PDH) under harsh conditions remains a critical challenge due to the sintering and the migration of Pt species, and coke deposition, all of which contribute to the deactivation of catalysts. Herein, we report a novel catalyst with bimetallic ZnCo anchoring of Pt species encapsulated in CTAB-modified silicalite-1 (S-1) zeolite. This catalyst demonstrates exceptional PDH performance, maintaining a low deactivation rate constant of 0.0014 h<sup>−1</sup> after 115 h of operation at 550℃ under a pure propane stream. It achieves a stable propylene space-time yield (STY) of 35.6 mol <span><math><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mtext>g</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>Pt</mtext></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></msubsup><mspace></mspace><msup><mrow><mtext>h</mtext></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math></span>, with a propane conversion of 25.6 % and a propene selectivity exceeding 98.0 %. The introduction of ZnCo bimetallic species promotes electron transfer, effectively inhibiting Pt sintering and regulating electronic structure of Pt species. Meanwhile, the incorporation of the soft template CTAB adjusts the structure of the channel of S-1 zeolite and contributes to the improvement of the catalyst durability. This synergistic design strategy offers a promising pathway for the development of robust and efficient PDH catalysts suited for industrial applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"711 ","pages":"Article 120720"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145787036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fatma Kizil , Halil İbrahim Önal , Khadichakhan Rafikova , Filiz Koyuncu , Nurgul Satybaldi̇yeva , Akbota Aronkyzy Aronova , Bagadat Selenova , Feyyaz Durap , Murat Aydemir
{"title":"Catalytic performance of Ru(0) nanoparticles supported on K-OMS-2 in transfer hydrogenation reactions","authors":"Fatma Kizil , Halil İbrahim Önal , Khadichakhan Rafikova , Filiz Koyuncu , Nurgul Satybaldi̇yeva , Akbota Aronkyzy Aronova , Bagadat Selenova , Feyyaz Durap , Murat Aydemir","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2026.120769","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2026.120769","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transfer hydrogenation-mediated reduction of ketones to yield secondary alcohols, which leads to the production of commercially important fine chemicals, is more favorable compared to conventional hydrogenation reactions. This research explores the effects of different Ru(0) nanoparticle loadings synthesized by treating a cryptomelane-type manganese oxide framework (K-OMS-2), which were characterized by advanced analytical methods including FT-IR, XRD, XPS, BET, SEM-EDX, and HR-TEM-EDX. The catalytic activity of Ru(0)@K-OMS-2 nanocatalyst was investigated in the transfer hydrogenation reaction of ketones. According to the catalytic results, Ru(0)@K-OMS-2 (3.0 %) catalyst containing 3 wt% Ru showed higher efficiency, high selectivity and high conversion (97 %) in transfer hydrogenation compared to other catalysts prepared in this study.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"711 ","pages":"Article 120769"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145920723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Francesco Sandri , Jennifer Cueto , Christoph Schmidt , Anssi Peuronen , Pia Damlin , Teija Tirri , Kari Eränen , Mika Lastusaari , Narendra Kumar , David P. Serrano , Päivi Mäki-Arvela , Dmitry Yu. Murzin
{"title":"Production of aromatics from furfural and ethanol over zeolite catalysts: Reaction and deactivation mechanisms, effect of acidity and zeolite structures","authors":"Francesco Sandri , Jennifer Cueto , Christoph Schmidt , Anssi Peuronen , Pia Damlin , Teija Tirri , Kari Eränen , Mika Lastusaari , Narendra Kumar , David P. Serrano , Päivi Mäki-Arvela , Dmitry Yu. Murzin","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The production of aromatics, specifically benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX), from bio-derived feedstock such as ethanol and furfural can be achieved by zeolite catalysts. However, the formation of coke strongly limits this reaction leading to catalyst deactivation. In-depth understanding of the relationship between the catalyst characteristics and the mechanism of carbon deposit is needed to improve potential applicability of this novel approach for BTX production. Evaluation of the catalytic activity of β and ZSM-5 zeolites in the aromatization of ethanol and furfural, coupled with the characterization of the spent catalysts, gave important insights on the structure and features that are required to increase the aromatics formation. With these investigations it was possible to determine the location of the catalytic sites that are active in the aromatization reaction, defining at the same time the mechanism of deactivation by coke formation. These findings give important advances for the future design of efficient catalysts for the aromatics production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"711 ","pages":"Article 120718"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145682622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aijing Ma , Yuni Dewi Susanti , Xueqian Li , Dan Liu , Bhekie B. Mamba , Alex T. Kuvarega , Jianzhou Gui
{"title":"Effect of conductive polypyrrole on CuOx nanowire arrays for nitrate electroreduction to ammonia","authors":"Aijing Ma , Yuni Dewi Susanti , Xueqian Li , Dan Liu , Bhekie B. Mamba , Alex T. Kuvarega , Jianzhou Gui","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120742","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120742","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia (NRA) is recognized as a promising approach to address nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>) pollution while yielding high-value ammonia. However, the lack of efficient electrocatalysts has severely limited the development of this technology. In this study, conductive polypyrrole (PPy) modulated CuO<sub>x</sub> nanowire arrays (CuO<sub>x</sub>@PPy/CF) were elaborately designed, and the effect of PPy on NRA activity has been systematically investigated. The optimal CuO<sub>x</sub>@PPy/CF-B2 electrocatalyst performed significantly better than the unmodified CuO<sub>x</sub>/CF. It exhibited 96.52 % NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> conversion, 99.76 % NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> Faradaic efficiency, 93.28 % NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> selectivity, and an NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> yield of 0.249 mmol‧h⁻¹ ‧cm<sup>−2</sup>. A series of characterizations confirmed that the porous PPy coating accelerated electron transfer and modulated the surface chemical microenvironment via promoting electrostatic adsorption of NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> and accumulating hydrogenated species, thereby facilitating ammonia formation. Moreover, in situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy identified reaction intermediates, enabling the proposal of a plausible reaction pathway. This work underscores the potential of conductive polymer-modified catalysts for advancing efficient nitrate electroreduction technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"711 ","pages":"Article 120742"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145733762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jord P. Haven, Leon Lefferts, Jimmy A. Faria Albanese
{"title":"Limitations of proton-conducting materials as supports for Pt-catalyzed ethane dehydrogenation in membrane reactors","authors":"Jord P. Haven, Leon Lefferts, Jimmy A. Faria Albanese","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120749","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120749","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Olefin formation via non-oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkanes is limited by thermodynamic equilibrium. A possible strategy to increase olefin yields aims at removing H<sub>2</sub> from the reaction zone using ceramic proton-conducting membranes. An attractive proposition is to deposit the catalyst directly onto the proton-conducting material to optimize hydrogen transport. To test this concept a Pt dehydrogenation catalyst was deposited onto lanthanum tungstate (LWO) and barium zirconium cerium yttrium (BZCY) oxides, which are prototypical materials in proton-conducting ceramics. The performance of Pt/LWO and Pt/BZCY was compared to a conventional Pt/ZnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> dehydrogenation catalyst in the non-oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane. The ethylene selectivity on Pt/LWO and Pt/BZCY was much lower than for Pt/ZnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>, at the cost of a higher methane selectivity. Methane formation is possibly boosted by C-C cleavage on Lewis acid sites of the LWO and BZCY supports. These acid sites originate from the presence of oxygen vacancies in LWO and BZCY. Additionally, Pt/LWO deactivated rapidly in dry atmospheres, due to Pt sintering. This sintering, however, was suppressed when cofeeding steam. The presence of steam, unfortunately, further decreased ethylene selectivity for Pt/LWO. The Pt/BZCY system was comparably stable relative to Pt/LWO, which was attributed to relatively strong interactions between Pt and the Ba in the support. Implementing proton-conducting materials, like LWO and BZCY, as catalyst supports requires significant improvements to compete with the conventional Pt/ZnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> catalyst. Addressing this issue will be key to enable large-scale implementation of proton ceramic catalytic membrane reactors for alkane dehydrogenation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"711 ","pages":"Article 120749"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145836534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yu Yang , Qingmei Ge , Nan Jiang , Hongxiu Zhao , Yin-Hui Huang , Hang Cong , Song Yang , Wenfeng Zhao
{"title":"Sustainable chemical recycling of PET via methanolysis over engineered hydroxyapatite nanorod catalysts","authors":"Yu Yang , Qingmei Ge , Nan Jiang , Hongxiu Zhao , Yin-Hui Huang , Hang Cong , Song Yang , Wenfeng Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120751","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120751","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The disposal of waste plastics, particularly polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is a growing environmental issue, with PET accounting for a significant portion of global plastic waste. This work presents an efficient catalytic strategy for upcycling PET to high-value dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) using engineered hydroxyapatite (HAP) as a solid catalyst. HAP was prepared and characterized under different calcination conditions, resulting in rod-like porous structures with mesoporous features. The HAP catalyst calcined at 700 °C exhibited excellent catalytic activity for the methanolysis of PET, achieving 100 % PET conversion and more than 90 % DMT yield at 180 °C within 2 h. Notably, HAP showed good reusability, maintaining its catalytic performance over at least four cycles without significant deactivation. The mechanism of the HAP-catalyzed methanolysis of PET was studied via SEM and <sup>31</sup>P solid-state NMR, revealing its role in promoting ester bond cleavage through both Lewis and Brønsted acid sites. This approach provides an efficient pathway for PET recycling, offering a sustainable solution to the growing problem of plastic waste.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"711 ","pages":"Article 120751"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145787033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alessandra Beretta , Gianpiero Groppi , Matteo Maestri , Isabella Nova , Enrico Tronconi , Carlo Giorgio Visconti
{"title":"Preface to the special issue in honor of Prof. Luca Lietti on his 65th birthday","authors":"Alessandra Beretta , Gianpiero Groppi , Matteo Maestri , Isabella Nova , Enrico Tronconi , Carlo Giorgio Visconti","doi":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120753","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120753","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":243,"journal":{"name":"Applied Catalysis A: General","volume":"711 ","pages":"Article 120753"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145920722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}